The Smokebush (or Smoketree) is a whimsical and colorful deciduous plant that will turn heads with its laundry list of curious characteristics!
Named for its dramatic display of fluffy mist-like plumes, the Smokebush will earn itself a prominent place in your heart and landscape!
The American native Smokebush (Cotinus obovatus) can be found throughout the southern states and midwestern US, and some varieties are native to southern Europe and China (Cotinus coggygria) as well!
Dramatic spring foliage emerges with a burst of color that can range from purple, to red, to blue-green and chartreuse! Then transform into equally dramatic hues for the fall that will ignite the fall landscape.
Cotinus species are multi-branched, deciduous, shrubby bushes or small trees. Ranging from dwarf forms to towering rounded specimens, Smokebush can have compact, irregular branching that is open and airy. The foliage can line the stems in bottlebrush-like form or in clumps separated by lengths of equally colorful bare stems, creating a Dr. Seuss-inspired form! When combined with the fluffy flowering display that appears at the ends of the branches - you gain a magical burst of whimsy!
Smokebush is coveted for these fluffy plumes! These late-season smoke-like blooms remain on the plants until frost and have a light scent that draws you in! Pollinators too will flock to these tiny flowers that are almost lost among their airy bracts and flower branches.
The plumes are so dense and fluffy that the plant appears in a smoky haze of color. Once pollinated, the male shrubs keep their airy plumes and female shrubs develop little seeds that the songbirds adore! Add these blooms as filler to bouquets and décor!
Impressive hedges and backdrops, the largest can be trained into small tree forms that have a huge ornamental impact and boost curb appeal in your landscape!
Create outdoor garden rooms, screen in seating areas, and envelop your home with colorful property division! Children's gardens become more whimsical, plus Rock Gardens and Cottage Gardens gain curiosity all season!
Add pops of year-round color to foundations and throughout the garden as brilliant focal points anywhere in the sun to partial shade landscape.
These phenomenal smaller Smoke Bushes are perfect as container specimens on your patio, porch, or pool deck!
Regardless of which you choose, you'll gain scented and easy-to-grow pollinator shrubs, bird-friendly food, nesting and shelter, and a unique plant that works beautifully in hedgerows, and shelterbelts, and to beef up the color spectrum of biodiverse mixed shrub border!
Cold hardy, disease and pest-resistant, and drought-tolerant, Smokebush provides incredible impact without asking for much in return!
Nature Hills offers several varieties of Smokebush and Smoketrees. Click the photos to learn more, or call our plant experts at (402) 934-8116.
Then get ready to reap the many rewards of these whimsical conversation pieces for your garden today!